Little Wonders
by Animegirl1129
Summary: Nick reflects on what kept him going when he was trapped in the box. Post Grave Danger. Songfic. NickGreg.


Little Wonders

**_Songfic that has been in my head for a few days. CSI isn't mine - if it was... well... use your imagination. The song belongs to Rob Thomas. Reviews are awesome! Hope you like!_**

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Let it go  
Let it roll right off your shoulder  
Don't you know  
The hardest part is over  
Let it in  
Let your clarity define you  
In the end  
We will only just remember how it feels 

It took Nick a few days to regain enough strength to stay awake for any length of time conductive to actually being aware of his surroundings and registering the people coming and going from the hospital room he'd been confined to.

His parents were a common presence in the room, as were Grissom, Catherine, and Warrick. His mother had informed him that some of his sisters had visited with him as well. But, the one he recognized the most out of all of them, was Greg. Though he didn't get much opportunity with everyone else outranking him. Even though he had more of a right to be there than anyone else.

"Hey, good to see you awake." Greg smiled, scooting the chair closer to the bed. "You feeling okay?"

Nick shrugged. "About as well as could be expected." He shifted until he was sitting upright, the first time he'd managed doing so without severe pain.

The younger man reached for Nick's hand subconsciously. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Hey, the hard parts over. Anything else that gets thrown at me, I think I'll be able to handle."

Our lives are made  
In these small hours  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away  
But these small hours  
These small hours still remain

Nick doesn't talk about the incident much. In fact, in the three months since his abduction, no one's really heard much that wasn't related to the investigation. Until now, anyway.

"You know what I did to keep myself from pulling the trigger?" A very drunken Nick Stokes inquires, the words coming out slurred and muffled with his lips against his lovers neck. He hears a mumbled reply and continues. "I thought about us."

Greg pulls away then, eyes meeting the other mans in all seriousness. Nick seems to have sobered as well.

He sits them down on the couch; Greg's back pulled flush against his own bare chest, arms wrapped around the figure. "You know, the little things that you normally wouldn't even give a second thought to? I thought about how I couldn't do that to you. Couldn't leave you."

He didn't say anything at first; instead, he opted to pull the Texan into the bedroom they've been sharing for the past two years. Since the lab explosion. "Moments like these?" Greg finally asks, head nestled in the crook of Nick's shoulder.

"Yeah."

Let it slide  
Let your troubles fall behind you  
Let it shine  
Until you feel it all around you  
And I don't mind  
If it's me you need to turn to  
We'll get by  
It's the heart that really matters in the end

His mind drifts back to that night, as much as he tries not to think about it, he just can't help it this time. He recalls how much he just wanted it all to end, for it to be over so the torture he was enduring would just stop.

He pictures Greg's face when they find what was destined to be his coffin. He pulls the gun away. And lets his mind wander back to the normal that was taken away from him just hours ago.

_Just yesterday, they were leading a perfectly normal, although semi-nocturnal life. Enjoying their relationship and doing the everyday things all couples did. They'd gone shopping just like they do every Thursday, at the local grocery store just down the street. Greg added things to the cart that weren't on Nick's list and Nick just grinned when Greg realized that he stopped being bothered by such things long ago. _

_They took their dog, Buck, an Australian Cattle Dog, for a walk in the park. They rarely get to do this particular activity together because of their hours and often being on different cases, so they love the days when they're both free. Buck meets up with Leigh, a German Shepherd that belongs to Bobby Dawson at the lab. He's the only one who knows they're together. He and his boyfriend have a little girl. Greg noticed the first time that they saw her that Nick gets a contemplative look in is eye._

_Laundry is Nick's job, because he is far too particular in the folding of clothes for anyone else to do it right. Greg used to try, but he found Nick redoing it all once. So they divided up most of the household chores. It all works out better that way. To make up for this character flaw, Nick often hides lewd notes in the pockets of Greg's jeans. _

Our lives are made  
In these small hours  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away  
But these small hours  
These small hours still remain

He tells Greg all of the things he used to keep himself sane in those few moments he was actually thinking of going through with it. Seriously considering…

And Greg listens intently, tracing random patterns along his lover's arms and chest, glad that the Texan is finally opening up about all of this. Glad that Nick's opening up to him. 

_Surprisingly enough, Greg is actually a really good cook. He made dinner, even having gone as far as to ban Nick from the kitchen until it was finished, setting up a romantic atmosphere with candles and country music in the background. Dessert was had in the bedroom. _

_The morning before he was taken, they shared a shower. He'd woken up to the sound of water echoing against tile and quickly headed toward the master bathroom to join. Greg was more than thrilled for the company. They'd ended up in need of a second shower by the time they were done with the first. _

All of my regret  
Will wash away some how  
But I cannot forget  
The way I feel right now

The memories he held onto most, however, during those terrifying hours, were having Greg in his arms, just as he does now, watching the younger man drift off to sleep. He looks so innocent when he sleeps. Those are the times when Nick can't help but wonder why on earth Greg would want to be with him. Whenever he thinks that, Greg always seems to curl into him even further, as if he can sense the thoughts and wants to put a stop to them immediately.

The little moments kept him going in the box. And it's the little moments that will keep them together forever.

In these small hours  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
These twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away but these small hours  
These small hours, still remain  
Still remain  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away  
But these small hours  
These little wonders still remain


End file.
